Never Alone
by Redi Chalyn
Summary: Garrus Vakarian and Chalyn Shepard love each other, but when the Crucible fired and destroyed the Reapers it also killed the commander. Or did it? Some loves can cross boundaries, and some oaths can cross borders. Shakarian, post-ME3.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: This is my first attempt at exploring what happens after the events of Mass Effect 3. Some background: Shakarian romance, Destroy ending, full Paragon, full Galaxy at War Readiness. Spacer childhood and Ashley died on Virmire. Enjoy!**_

Garrus sat on the large bed, not looking at the wreckage surrounding him in what had been Shepard's quarters on the Normandy. When the ship crashed on the strange planet, this room had taken the worst of the blow and no one but him had come up here. In truth, he didn't really want to come here but he felt an inexplainable draw. When they'd been making repairs to the ship, he had stepped up to be the leader and they'd completed their repairs in less than half the time they'd initially estimated. Now they were en route to a mass relay, having received a garbled transmission hinting at repairs having been made to most of the relays. In these moments when no one needed him directly, Garrus found himself up here just sitting on the bed he'd once shared with Chalyn Shepard. His daze was broken as Joker's voice came over the intercom, still thick from the tears he tried to hide from EDI's sudden death. "Approaching the Relay, Com-er...Garrus."

Garrus sighed. "Thanks, Joker. I'll be right there."

"Yeah...roger that."

Garrus glanced around the room, his eyes falling on the shattered fish tank. His first time coming here had been just after the crash, still somewhat delusional from loss of blood and a concussion. He'd seen the shattered tank and the fish flopping about in puddles of water and could only think of how much Chalyn loved her fish, so he'd quickly called Tali up to help him rescue the marine life. They were now swimming in smaller bowls in the cockpit, Joker accepting the distraction of feeding them. Chalyn's hamster hadn't been so lucky, however, and Garrus had buried the squished remains while they were still on the planet they'd crashed on. He stood up and went to the elevator, going to the CIC and standing at the galaxy map. Samantha looked up at him. "Garrus, you've got a hail from Admiral Hacket coming in. He says it's urgent."

Garrus nodded, coming fully into leadership mode. "Forward it to my omnitool." He stepped back from the galaxy map and opened a screen on his omnitool, Hacket's face appearing through static.

"Vakarian I'm led to believe everyone on board the Normandy survived, and you're plotting a course to the Sol relay."

Garrus nodded. "Yes sir, everyone survived except for EDI. We're not sure where we ended up but when we heard that most of the relays were repaired-"

"You need to report to the bulk of the Alliance fleets. All Alliance ships are converging...coordinates to...meeting."

"Admiral, you're breaking up. Do you read?"

"Vakarian...experiencing some interference. All Alliance...coordinates."

The call was lost and Garrus sighed, shaking his head. "Joker, did you get the coordinates?"

"Aye aye sir. Plotting course for Horsehead Nebula now. ETA five minutes."

Garrus grunted. "Right." He went to the elevator, going down to the Crew Deck to check on Javik, who'd been spending his time there instead of his old place on the Engineering deck. He found the Prothean standing in front of the memorial wall. "Javik, how are you holding up?"

"Injuries sustained during the final push to the beacon have mostly recovered, Garrus Vakarian. Primitives have come a long way in medical science."

Garrus grunted, standing next to him though looking at the memorial wall brought every feeling of dread he felt back to the surface. "Dr. Chakwas is the best doctor the Alliance has. Not surprised she-"

"You still have not placed the commander's name on this 'memorial wall'. Do you believe that by delaying, she will somehow not be dead?"

Garrus closed his eyes, a part of him having known this would come up eventually but he'd still hoped it wouldn't. "She isn't dead, Javik."

"Refusing to accept it does not make it any less a fact. The Crucible deactivated the machine called EDI, it doubtless-"

"No. Shepard is alive, Javik."

"Why do you hold on to this foolish hope?" Javik grabbed Garrus's arms and they both felt a surge of sorrow, but also love. Every memory Garrus had of him and Chalyn flooded forward, and Javik released the Turian, stepping back.

Garrus's mandibles flared. "Because hope is all that's left. That's something I thought you of all people would understand." He turned and went back to the elevator, going to the CIC as they came through the relay.

Joker's voice came over the intercom. "Uh, Garrus? We're being hailed by an Alliance cruiser, requesting boarding permission."

Garrus nodded. "Granted." He stood straight, waiting for the boarding party to come aboard. The woman he saw nearly turned his legs to jelly. "Chalyn..." he whispered. But no, he saw the differences now. Her blond hair had gray streaks in it, her face creased with worry. Though she carried herself with the same precision as his love, her uniform was more decorated, including the bars of a rear admiral. He saluted. "Rear Admiral Shepard."

The woman saluted back then extended a hand. "Call me Hannah. An honor to finally meet you, Garrus Vakarian."

Garrus shook her hand. "The honor is mine, ma'am."

The woman nodded then turned. "Joker, was it? Set a course for these coordinates. Normandy will be dry docked on arrival to finish making repairs."

"Ma'am, these coordinates are for-"

"I know where they're for. Set a course."

"Aye aye, ma'am. Plotting course."

Hannah looked at Garrus. "Is there some place to talk, off the record?"

Garrus nodded and led her to the elevator, going up to Chalyn's cabin on instinct. As the doors opened, he realized it probably hadn't been the best idea to bring her mother here. "I...sorry, ma'am. I know this isn't what you wanted to see."

Hannah said nothing, simply walking into the room and looking around. She smiled faintly at the fish tank remains. "Chalyn always did love animals."

"I...yes ma'am. Her fish survived, actually. Tali and I took them; Joker's taking care of them until-well..." Garrus looked away.

"That 'until' is precisely the reason I am here, Mr. Vakarian." Hannah strode across the room to the couch, moving some model ships away and brushing shards of glass off before sitting down. Garrus followed suit, sitting on the chair. Hannah folded her hands on her lap, clearly taking pains to remain official looking. "You are aware my daughter activated the Crucible and destroyed the Reapers."

"Yes, ma'am." Garrus wasn't sure where this was leading.

"You may find it interesting that I am also aware of the bond you and she shared." Hannah looked at Garrus with knowing eyes. "I shouldn't be surprised; she spoke of you fondly." She took a deep breath, looking around the room. "The coordinates I gave to Joker are for a secret medical lab, privately funded by some interested parties. Most of their work is centered around aesthetic alterations or drug tolerances."

Garrus didn't want to hear about this, and he really didn't care. He wanted to find Chalyn. "I brought the Normandy to the Alliance because it's an Alliance ship, but I'm not part of them. My mission to find Chalyn-"

"Has been completed for us." Hannah looked at Garrus, satisfied by the stunned look on his face. "We are heading toward the Omega Nebula, more specifically to Omega itself. Aria T'Loak had some of her personal mercs on the Citadel when the Crucible deployed. I'm not sure how she managed it, or what her reasons are, but she has recovered Chalyn's body. Mr. Vakarian, my daughter is alive."


	2. Chapter 2

As the Normandy docked on a hidden docking bay of Omega, Aria T'Loak herself came to greet the crew with some Talon mercs. "Well, well. If it isn't Archangel himself." She looked at the rest of the crew. "Shuttles are waiting to take most of you where you belong. Cerberus won't be needing them anymore, after all." She looked at Hannah. "I'm surprised you came. You made your disgust for Omega clear; something about the vomit of all morality."

Hannah held up a hand. "I'm here for Commander Shepard, Ms. T'Loak. Nothing more."

Aria smirked. "Right." She looked at Garrus. "Well what are you waiting for then? That uptight Cerberus woman is already with her."

"Cerberus woman? You mean, Miranda?" The mention struck a chord in Garrus, proving beyond a doubt that Chalyn was indeed alive.

Aria turned and led them to what used to be the VIP section of Afterlife. "Yes. I didn't want to let her on but, well,"

"Nobody knows more about Shepard's body than Miranda."

"I'm sure. Rebuilding her the first time may have been easier though."

Hannah shook her head, not liking to think about how her daughter had already died once. Garrus followed silently until they got there, surprised at the new look of Afterlife. Chalyn had told him about the Cerberus coup here, but part of him had still expected the same night club as before. Instead, the place looked like a military fortress with mercs for soldiers. As they stood in a decontamination room, they heard an alarm sound from the next room. The door opened and Garrus's mandibles flared in shock. The VIP section had been completely redone, but beyond that shock was a bed in the middle of the room. Monitors stood everywhere, with IVs and tubes leading to a woman on the bed. Miranda stood there, staring at the monitor that was sounding the alarm. "I need that sedative now! I don't care what you have to do just get it to me now!" An Asari pole dancer ran off only to return shortly with a syringe. Miranda took it and injected the contents into an IV, then watched the monitor again. The alarm stopped and she sighed in relief. "If that happens again I'll turn your head into a pulpy mass."

Aria stepped forward. "She's a pole dancer, not a surgeon. That's your job."

Miranda stood back from the bed and crossed her arms. "And your job is to find me people to keep her alive." She saw Garrus and Hannah for the first time and her face melted from anger. She looked at a Salarian wearing a science uniform. "She's stable for now, Maelon. Call me if anything changes." She beckoned to Garrus and Hannah as she walked off. Garrus hesitated but followed instead of going to Chalyn, knowing that whatever Miranda had to say was doubtless more important. They sat at a bar in a side room, Miranda pouring a glass of water. "Guess it's true you survived then."

"How is she?"

Miranda shook her head at Garrus's impatience, sighing. "That's a difficult question. In truth, the answer is something she should probably tell you both herself but that's no longer an option." She looked at both of them, trying to find the right words. "When the Crucible fired, the Citadel was badly damaged as well as the mass relays. The relays were mostly repaired, quickly, and they're working on finding bodies on the Citadel before they begin repairs." She sighed, taking a drink. "Injuries the commander sustained during the final push to the beam were bad, but she can recover with ease. The blast from the Crucible damaged her cybernetic implants nearly to a state beyond repair, however, and she lost a lot of blood before she was found."

"I'll give her more blood. We're the same type and-"

Miranda held up a hand to Hannah. "That's not the problem anymore. When I headed the Lazarus project, I made sure to locate donors of compatible blood types. However," she shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Initial scans picked up trace amounts of an odd genetic material. I thought it was residue from the Citadel, perhaps something from the Keepers." She looked at Garrus. "Commander Shepard is pregnant. It's impossible to say exactly how far along, but if I had to guess I'd say about a month."

Garrus's mandibles flared out as he remembered their last night together before launching the attack on Cerberus. "A month..." he whispered.

Hannah's jaw gaped slightly. "And the baby..."

"The fetus is alive, though its heart rate is erratic at times. Each time we give Shepard blood or plasma, complications arise. I checked the odd genetic material, and it's dextro-amino acid based." Miranda looked between Hannah and Garrus, letting this information sink in a bit.

"Dextro...then the baby is..." Hannah's voice was barely above a whisper.

"...Mine." Garrus finished for her, having known from the first mention of a pregnancy that it could only be his.

Miranda nodded, then sighed. "It would be easier to abort the pregnancy and focus solely on Shepard."

"No," Hannah and Garrus said at once. Hannah sighed, closing her eyes. "Does she even know about this?"

Miranda shook her head. "Doubtful. We've kept her under heavy sedatives since arriving here, and there's no way for her to have known before. There have been times when she hasn't been completely unconscious, but the level of her awareness is difficult to discern."

Garrus nodded understanding, still trying to fully comprehend what had just happened. Before any of them could say anything, however, there was a beeping sound from the medical room. Miranda's omnitool came on with a call from Maelon. "You'd better get in here quick."

Miranda nodded and all three of them ran to Chalyn's bed, Garrus and Hannah seeing her for the first time. Hannah put a hand to her mouth and Garrus's mandibles flared out in shock. Chalyn lay there, multiple tubes from IVs in her arms and wires for various monitors streaming from her head, chest, and abdomen. There was a respirator going into her mouth, and her skin was various shades of color from bruises and cuts that were still healing. But she was still the same Chalyn. Miranda looked at one of the monitors and cursed. "Dammit, the fetus is going into distress."

Maelon quickly grabbed a syringe and injected it straight into Chalyn's abdomen, watching the monitor with Miranda as the stats slowly fell back into normal range. The Salarian looked at Miranda. "Waking the patient would greatly reduce number of occurrences of fetal distress."

Miranda shook her head. "She's not ready yet. If we wake her now, all her major organs will be overwhelmed. We have to wait until her cybernetic implants are repaired."

Garrus quietly took Chalyn's hand, holding it gently as he looked at her face. The buzz around him seemed to fade as he looked at his love, knowing that they had created a life together most would have deemed impossible. That knowledge also brought worry, because it was clear that the pregnancy was endangering her life even more. But he knew Chalyn, and she was a fighter. As long as there was a chance, however slim, he would stay with her and protect their unborn child.


	3. Chapter 3

Almost a week later, Aria walked into the lab to see Garrus sitting on the chair someone had brought in for him next to Shepard. She rolled her eyes, knowing he probably hadn't left to eat again, and went up to him. "She's not going anywhere, Archangel. So get off your fucking ass and get something to eat."

Garrus's mandibles flared. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm fine."

Aria shook her head. "Like hell you are. I've seen enough of Turians in my life to know when you're starving. Do you honestly think if she knew you never left that she'd approve?"

Garrus just closed his eyes. "She does know. She knows I'm here now."

Aria clenched her fists then grabbed Garrus by the arm, pulling him away as she pulsed with biotic energy. "I don't give a damn if you want to die or not, but that woman deserves more than to wake up seeing a half dead Turian hovering over her. Get your ass out of here and eat something. Sleep, I don't care."

Garrus shoved her away but didn't protest further, looking at Chalyn one last time before going to the main floor of Afterlife to eat. He didn't see Aria walk over to Chalyn and look at her silently for a bit.

When Garrus sat at the bar, a Batarian immediately brought a plate of dextro-based food to him as well as a glass of Turian brandy. Garrus had no appetite, but before he could abandon his meal he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. "Eat, Mr. Vakarian. I doubt my daughter would allow you to continue like this." Hannah sat down beside him, being promptly served with a plate of steak, a baked potato, and something resembling collard greens from Earth. She smiled softly at Garrus as he forced himself to take a bite of his food, starting in on her own meal.

Garrus sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't know it was possible, but-"

"Hush," Hannah said softly, "if I were here to scold you for impregnating my daughter, I'd have done so already. I may not necessarily approve, but that's neither here nor there." She took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. "You haven't left her side since we arrived. You must love her deeply."

Garrus nodded, closing his eyes. "She is the only woman I can imagine being with, ma'am."

Hannah nodded slowly. "If-no, when she wakes up, I imagine there will be much to tell. Starting with why she's in this hell hole."

Garrus grunted, hinting at a laugh. "She never really liked this place, but there was always something drawing her here."

Hannah nodded and finished her dinner, standing up. "I'll stay with her. You get some sleep."

Garrus stood. "No, I-"

"That's not up for debate, Mr. Vakarian. If anything changes, you'll be made aware. With that, Hannah left and went to the lab to sit with Chalyn. Garrus sighed and went to the rooms Miranda had pointed out for sleeping. The beds were anything but comfortable, obviously not built for Turians, but as soon as he laid down he could tell it was necessary to sleep. As he closed his eyes, his last thoughts were of just before the final battle. _"Forgive the insubordination, but your boyfriend has an order for you. Come back to me alive. It'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you." She smirked, touched his face. "Take care, Garrus. And if I'm up there in that bar and you're not, I'll be looking down. You'll never be alone." She walked off and he thought about it. "Never."_

 ** _A/N: Sorry it's short I'm strapped for time here but I just had to give one last nibble! Next chapter will be longer, I promise!_**


End file.
